Descent into Darkness
by GoldenHeart92
Summary: I sit here in this cell waiting for death. I cannot honestly say that I do not deserve it because I do. In fact, I deserve much worse. I have committed unspeakable attrocities and delighted in committing them. I am not a hero. I am a villan. I own nothing
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: This is just an idea I thought up in my head one day. If you read it, thank you.**

**Warnings: This is not a happy story. The major tone is rather dark and morbid. Read at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you. **

**Rating: This story is rated M for violence, gore, cursing, dark themes, and possible sexual themes in the future.**

I heard footsteps approaching. I hadn't even been in here for very long. The Dunmer across the way spoke, "Hey, you hear that tree hugger? The guards are coming for you." He began cackling manically. I paid no attention to him though. I was focused on the coming footfalls. I also heard voices.

"My sons, they're dead aren't they?" it was a man speaking and his voice sounded as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "We don't know that sire. The messenger only said they were attacked." A female replied, trying to bring hope to the man. It apparently did no good. "No they are dead. I know it." The group proceeded down the stairs. Standing up and walking to the gate I could see that it consisted of three Imperial guards and an elderly man. I assumed he was the one I had heard speaking about his sons. He was clothed in rather expensive looking robes of a deep purple color with a pure white fur collar and carried himself with a regal manner.

"What is this prisoner doing here? This cell is supposed to be off limits." The female guard exclaimed. "Must have been a mix up with the watch. It's not really important though." replied the male guard standing closest to my cell. The female guard then turned to me . "Prisoner, stand over by the window. We won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way."

So they were not here for me then. I quickly turned and walked towards the window and watched as the small group entered my cell. "You. I know you." I turned and saw that the man in robes was staring at me as he spoke. He approached me. "Let me see your face." He stared at me for a few seconds before going on, "You are the one from my dreams. Then the stars were right and this _is_ the day." I just continued to stare at him, having really no idea what he was going on about. "Gods give me strength." He uttered with the look of a man who was being led to the gallows.

Finally I had enough of his insane ramblings and decided to find out what was going on. "Who are you?" I asked. He stared at me with what little pride he had left evident in his features. " I am your Emperor, Uriel Septim." I was momentarily shocked. I had suspected this man was important from his clothes and manner but to be in the presence of the Emperor himself was enough to make anyone speechless, even if they had nothing to do with said Emperor or his kingdom.

"What's going on?" I asked. If something was about to happen to me I at least wanted to know how and why. Although I did not think it was possible, his face took on an expression even more grim than it had been previously. "Assassins attacked my sons and I'm next. My Blades are leading me out of the city through a secret passageway, which by chance leads through your cell. As to why you are in jail, it does not matter for that is not what you will be remembered for." At this is snorted inwardly. The Emperor had no idea of the crimes I had committed so of course he would say they do not matter. Ignorance is bliss I suppose.

I didn't know what he meant by saying that my crimes are not what I would be remembered for but I really didn't care. I had no desire to serve this Emperor or empire. They had never done anything for me but make my life difficult so why should I do anything to help them?

" I go my own way." I gruffly told him.

"As do we all. But who can avoid the path set for them by the Gods?"

"Please Sire, we have to keep moving." One of the guards said as one of the walls of my cell began to shake and then swung backwards like a hinged door to reveal a hidden passage.

"Looks like it's your lucky day prisoner." The male guard said to me as he followed the Emperor into the tunnel. "Just don't get in our way and we won't have to kill you."I of course was not just going to sit in my cell when freedom what right there so I did what anyone in my position would have done. I followed them.

We proceeded down the darkened tunnel but did not manage to get very far before a group of people ambushed and attacked us. "Protect the Emperor!" All of the guards shouted in unison as they charged the enemy. Since I had no weapon to fight or defend myself with I stood with the Emperor and watched the fight. I could already feel the darkness inside of me gnawing on my insides to be let out… to kill again. I had to mentally push it back until it was no longer threatening to break free and continued to watch the fight.

The captain was the first to fall but the other two continued to fight. I noticed that the people who had ambushed us were wearing what appeared to be conjured armor. After they fell in battle the armor evaporated into the air leaving only dark crimson robes on the bodies.

After the fight our small group continued onwards. I stopped and retrieved the Akavira Katana from the captain of the guards. She certainly wasn't going to need it anymore and I needed something to fight with in case we encountered more of those killers. As we continued walking I noticed that the two remaining guards were pretty riled up over what had just occurred.

"How could they have been waiting for us down here?" one of the guards asked.

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. It is too late to go back now and we must get the Emperor to safety." The other said. "They won't be the first to underestimate the Blades."

Ah, so these were to legendary Blades. I had heard about them in the past but had never seen them.

After a little more walking we reached a large wooden door. The Emperor and the two Blades proceeded inside. I began to follow them when the rear guard halted me. "You stay here prisoner. Don't try to follow us." And with that they were gone, and I was left alone in the underground tunnel.

**So there you have it. If you made it all the way to the end, congratulations and thank you. If you feel like it leave me a review. Constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So here is chapter two. It is a little slow but hopefully later chapters will be better.**

I briefly contemplated following them through the door when suddenly one of the walls in the room crumbled and revealed what appeared to be some type of cave and two very large rats. They must have caused the wall to cave in trying to get to me. They quickly scurried to me and started to attack. The first one got in a nasty scratch on my right forearm before I swung my sword and hacked off his head. The second one crouched low and prepared to jump but before he could I slammed my sword down and through its body until I heard it hit the stone floor.

I yanked it out of the corpse and proceeded inside of the cave. About thirty feet in I saw a skeleton lying on the ground, no doubt killed by the unnaturally large rats. I bent down and searched it and found a bow, arrows, lock picks, and a torch. I took all of the items even though I had no way to light the torch. I didn't really need it anyway. After years of living with the darkness both within and without it had become a welcome embrace rather than a cold shoulder.

I continued on, killing more rats along the way. With every rat I killed, the darkness inside only stirred more, delighting in the lives I was extinguishing no matter how insignificant they were. I was growing tired of this inward struggle and briefly thought of giving up and letting it take over. But the part of me that desired to do good, however small a part it may be, was still there, urging me on and convincing me not to give in. And so I continued on.

A little further in I found yet another skeleton. This one had armor, a sword, and some gold coins on it. I gathered up the armor, which was nothing more than an iron cuirass, boots, gauntlets, and a shield. However it was more than I currently had so I put them on. I also took the steel short sword just in case something happened to the one I was currently using. Nothing wrong with being prepared for the unexpected. Along the way I also found several rickety looking wooden chests. I proceeded to look inside and was pleasantly surprised when some of them contained gold and potions. The only ones I would ever use were the healing potions so I took them.

After traveling through the tunnel for what seemed like an eternity, and killing an innumerable amount of rats, I was greeted with the welcome sight of a wooden door. Wanting to get out of these caves I quickly went through it only to be greeted by yet more caves and an ugly green goblin right at the entrance. Not wanting to damage my armor more than it already was I decided to sneak up and kill it. Again living a life in shadows proved invaluable as I snuck up behind the creature and in one swift motion used my blade to slit its throat. It made a screeching sound as it fell to the ground and slowly bled out. An evil smile slowly spread across my face as I watched it die. After I was sure it was dead I searched the body and found more lock picks.

Further into the caves I traveled, all the while killing rats, goblins, and even an occasional zombie. Finally after traveling through the caves I found yet another wooden door and proceeded inside. This one led me into a room that resembled the one I had been in before the caves. The walls were no longer made of dirt but of stones. I continued walking a short way before I heard faint whispers. I crouched low and crept forward, eager to kill again. As I grew closer I realized that I recognized the voices. I had caught up with the Emperor and his bodyguards. With part of me inwardly sighing in disappointment, I put my blade away and went to catch up with the group. It did not take me long to find them but when I did, I was not greeted warmly.

"Dammit, it's that prisoner again. Kill her, she might be working with the assassins." I quickly drew my blade and prepared for a fight but the Emperor stopped the fight before it even had a chance to start.

"No, she is not one of them. She can help us. She _must_ help us." The Emperor told them.

I was not going to be told what to do. "Just a minute, I don't have to do anything I don't want to. I don't care who you are. The only person I take orders from is me."

"How dare you speak to your emperor like that! You will pay for that." The two guards began to approach with swords drawn. Again we prepared for a fight and again we were halted by the Emperor.

"Put away your weapons. We need her alive."

If looks could kill, I would have been dead on the spot from the look I was receiving from the guards and they reluctantly put away their weapons. I too put mine away with the feeling of regret stirring inside of me. Whether it was regret for how I had spoken to the Emperor or regret that I would not be allowed to take the lives of the guards I was not sure but it was there all the same.

The Emperor approached me after my blade was safely put away. "They cannot understand why I trust you. They have not seen what I have seen."

In all honesty I could not understand it either. I had made it clear that I had no interest in helping him. In fact there was a part of me that wouldn't mind at all if I was to kill him right here and now. _It would be easy_ the darker part of me argued._ It would be so quick the Blades would have no time to react. He has never done anything for me and now he thinks he can demand whatever he wants of me. He deserves to die. He is going to die soon anyway. You could_- no, no I cannot think like that I told myself. I can't let this darkness control me. For whatever reason, this man trusted me. That is something I have never had from anyone. I decided to listen to what he had to say.

" You know of the Nines? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?"

"I have nothing to do with the gods. If they even exist they have done nothing for me but make my life miserable. I do not serve them and they do not guide me." I told him.

He gave a small smile before continuing, "I have served the Nine all my days and I chart my course by the cycle of the heavens. The skies are marked with innumerable sparks of light. Each a fire and every one a sign. I know these stars well and I wonder, which sign marked your birth?"

It had been so long since I had celebrated or even acknowledged my birthday that I had completely forgot it. There was no point in remembering it anyways.

"Even if I could remember the day of my birth, I would have no idea of the sign that marks it. I have never paid attention to the heavens or their signs." I said bluntly.

The guards were starting to get anxious.

"Sire, we really must keep moving. There may be more of those assassins on the way and we are just sitting targets here."

"Please Baurus, give us just another moment."

"Yes sir, but please hurry." And with that, the one named Baurus turned to the other guard and they began talking about something I could not here. I turned back to the Emperor to hear what else he had to say.

"The signs that I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come. However, your stars, whatever they may be, are not mine. Today the stars will guide your steps on the road to destiny. In your face I behold the sun's companion. The dawn of Akatosh's bright glory may banish the coming darkness. With such hope and with the promise of your aid, my heart may be satisfied."

I think that perhaps it was the fact that he knew his death was imminent that made him say these things. Perhaps he was trying desperately to cling onto this last shred of hope before his life ended. As I listened to him I began to feel sorry for him. Sorry? I have never felt sorry for anyone in my life, not even myself. Yet here I was feeling sorry for this man. Maybe it was because somewhere deep down I knew the words he spoke and the hopes he held were meaningless. I would not be the one to save the day and banish some terrible evil that was threatening the land. These new emotions I felt prompted me to ask him, "aren't you afraid to die?"

He smiled and replied, "No trophies of my triumphs precede me, but I have lived well and my ghost will rest easy. Men are but flesh and blood. They know their doom, but not the hour. In this, I have been blessed to see the hour of my death, to face my apportioned fate, then fall. I go now to my grave. A tongue shriller than all the music calls me. You shall follow me yet for a while, but then we must part."

With this he turned and began walking towards the exit. Baurus approached me, "You may as well make yourself useful if you are going to be following us."

He handed me the torch he had been previously carrying."Here, carry this and stick close. Just let us do our job and you may get through this alive." I quietly chuckled to myself. If only they knew how capable I was of taking care of myself.

We continued our trek through the tunnels but had barely got twenty yards before more of these assassins attacked us again. These ones bore the same conjured armor as the previous ones. This time, with a weapon, I plunged right into the thick of the battle. There were three of them again but against the four of us they were no match. Baurus killed the first one with a sword through the chest and then proceeded to help the other Blade who was blocking attacks from one of the enemies. The third one charged right at me and I drew my sword only too ready to kill again. This one had a mace of some sort and immediately upon reaching me began trying to bash my head in. I blocked his first hit with my shield and then quickly ran him through before he had a chance to strike again. As he fell the armor disappeared just as it had on the previous attackers and left only a red robe.

Again we began to move and again we had scarcely gotten fifty feet before we were attacked. This time there was five of them. I took on two that were hiding in a corner while the blades took the others. I aimed by blade straight at the first one's chest but he blocked my attack with his weapon and then kicked me in the stomach which sent me flying to the ground. Quickly jumping up I swung my blade horizontally and completely severed the head of the first attacker. The second one was not even a challenge. He was staring at his dead comrade and that was all the time I needed to thrust my sword straight through his head. The sounds of the blade cutting through flesh only fed the darkness, making it crave more blood.

After they were dead I turned and saw that the blades had taken care of the other three. We continued a short while until we came to the door to the exit but it was blocked off by a locked iron gate.

"Damn! It's a dead end. A trap!" The other guard yelled in frustration as he inspected the gate.

Baurus spoke up, "What about that side passage Glenroy?" Glenroy. So that was the name of the other guard.

"Worth a try. Let's go." And with that we turned and entered into a small alcove that we quickly found out lead to nowhere.

"It's a dead end. What are your orders Sire?"

Before the Emperor could respond, we heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.

Glenroy drew his sword, " They're behind us! Wait here Sire." And with that he began running towards the oncoming intruders.

Baurus turned to me, "Stay here with the Emperor and guard him with your life." I gave a nod of agreement and he went and joined the fight with his comrade.

I pulled out my blade and readied myself for yet another fight. Before any of the assassins reached us the Emperor approached me.

"I can go no further. You alone must stand and face the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not get the Amulet of Kings!" With these words he removed the amulet from around his neck and handed it to me. The amulet consisted of a red diamond cut into a diamond shape. It was held in place by a golden clasp which was inlaid with eight smaller multicolored gems. I hesitantly reached out and took it from him and placed it into my pocket.

"Take the amulet to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last surviving son. You must find him and close shut the jaws of Oblivion."

I found it odd that this man was still giving me orders as if I had said I was going to help him. I had my own problems to worry about. I couldn't afford to have someone else's problems added to them. But for some strange reason, instead of telling him I would not do it, I simply nodded.

"Then I can die with my heart at peace. Thank you." He gave me a genuine, thankful smile. I never got a chance to respond because at that moment, the wall which the Emperor was standing next to came down to reveal a secret passage and a waiting assassin. I watched as he jumped from his standing position and landed right in front of the Emperor. Life seemed to be moving in slow motion as I watched him raise his dagger and thrust it into the Emperor's chest.

At that moment I felt nothing but complete and utter rage. I raced over to the assassin and before he could even look up from the fallen body of the man he had just so ruthlessly murdered, my sword made contact with his head and completely severed it from the rest of his body. Blood gushed from the open hole on his neck and splattered across me which only made my desire to kill even stronger. I then rushed to help Baurus and Glenroy. I reached the fight and saw that Glenroy had fallen to the assassins and Baurus was desperately trying to fend off three of the red cloaked killers. I ran over to help him, blade raised.

Before I could reach him he had already killed one but the other two were quickly gaining the upper hand. Since they both had their attention focused on Baurus it was easy for me to shove my blade through the stomach of one of the killers. The other turned his head to look at his fallen ally for only a second but that was all Baurus needed to strike. Raising his blade high above his head, He brought it down as fast as his arms would let him.

"For the Emperor!" he shouted as his sword cleaved the assassins head in half. Baurus pulled his sword from the corpse and watched as it crashed to the floor, a trail of thick red blood running from the head.

With all of the enemies now dead Baurus turned to approach the Emperor's body. He bent down and checked for a pulse.

"No! It can't be! Talos save us."

He stood up and looked at me with tears in his eyes.

" We failed… I failed… The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor and now he and all his heirs are dead. The amulet? Where is the amulet? It wasn't on the Emperor's body."

"The Emperor gave it to me." I told him while pulling it out of my pocket to show it to him before returning it there.

He stared at me quizzically. "Strange. He saw something in you. Trusted you."

Although I refrained from saying so out loud, inwardly I was thinking, _yeah and look where his trust in me got him… dead._

Baurus continued his outward musings, "They say it is the dragon blood that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser men. The Amulet of Kings has great power. They say only a true heir of the blood can wear it. Still, he must have given it to you for a reason. Did he say why?"

"He told me that I need to deliver it to Jauffre."

"Jauffre? He said that? Why?"

"There is another heir to the throne." I told him.

"Hmmmm, it's nothing I have ever heard about, but Jauffre would be the one to know. He is the Grandmaster of the Order of the Blades."

"Where can I find him?" I asked. The sooner I found this Jauffre, the sooner I would be rid of this amulet and the problems it entailed.

"He lives quietly as a monk at Weynon Priory near the city of Chorrol. But first you need to get out of here. Through that door must be the entrance to the sewers." He gestured to the wall that had come down to reveal the hidden assassin earlier.

"That is where we were heading. It is a secret way out of the Imperial City. Or at least it was _supposed_ to be a secret."

"Here" He handed me an old key. "You will need this key to get into the sewers. There are rats and goblins down there but from what I've seen of your fighting skills, I don't think they will give you any trouble. After you get out of the sewers, you must proceed straight to Weynon Priory and give the amulet to Jauffre."

Again with people thinking they could tell me what to do. "Why don't you just go and deliver it to him yourself?" I asked, my voice laced with anger.

"Because he gave the amulet to you. You were the one given this responsibility, not me or anyone else. He trusted you to perform this task for him. I would think that even a no good prisoner like yourself would have the decency to grant the Emperor his last request."

He must have seen the anger flash across eyes because as I glared at him he took a step backwards. The thought of killing him right there on the spot crossed my mind, but I quickly pushed away.

Without fully understanding why I sighed and said, "I'll do it."

Baurus smiled and replied, "Good. It seems the Emperor's trust was well placed. I will stay here and guard the Emperor's body and make sure no one follows you. You need to get going. Travel safely and may Talos guide you."

I turned to leave but had scarcely gotten three steps before he stopped me. "Oh I almost forgot, could you hand over Captain Renault's sword. I will make sure it is given a place of honor in the hall of the Blades."

He had to be kidding right? Nope, he wasn't kidding. Making sure that he knew I was upset with my body language, I removed the sword from its resting place and handed it over to him.

"Thank you."

I didn't bother to respond as I turned and made my way to the door that would lead to the sewers.

Once I had descended the ladder the first thing I noticed was the putrefying smell. I had smelled some disgusting things throughout my life but this was by far the worst. I made my way through the sewers as quickly as possible, slicing and hacking my way through goblins and rats until I finally reached the exit.

I opened the grate and stepped outside, happy to be breathing fresh air. I looked around and saw that I had come out of the sewers North East of the Imperial City. Chorrol was almost directly west of where I currently was. Shaking my head in disbelief at what I had just agreed to I gazed at the coming dawn.

I had a long journey ahead of me.

**There you have it. Leave me a review telling me what you think and again, thank you for taking the time to read this.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So here is the next chapter. Sorry that the beginning is so boring, but it will get better in later chapters… at least I think it will Thanks again for taking the time to read. Leave a review if you feel like it. Constructive Criticism is appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the idea of the story.**

I looked around at my surroundings. Straight in front of me was Lake Rumare and on the other side was what appeared to be some sort of ruin. I realized the only way I was going to get away from these sewers was to swim across. Reluctantly I approached the edge of the water. The sun rising in the East caused the water to sparkle and shimmer like liquid gold. I took a moment to admire it before slowly walking in. When the water reached depths that were over my head I began swimming.

It didn't take me long to reach the other side and I climbed onto shore and wrung out my shoulder length hair. Normally it was blonde but due to the swim I had just had, it had taken on a dark brown color. After wringing out as much water as I could from my clothes and hair, I began walking towards the white, crumbled building. I didn't get very far before I heard voices. I could tell by the wild tone in their voices that both of them were Khajiit males. I crouched low and crept along one of the walls that was still intact, trying to listen in on their conversation.

"Did you hear about the Royal Family? All of the Emperor's sons killed by assassins." One of them said.

"Yeah, I heard about it. I overheard a couple of Dunmers discussing it as they left the Imperial City. That is until I stopped them and robbed them blind. Hehe, they both took off runnin' and squealin' like a couple of pigs. That's what those Dunmers are anyway, Pigs. Every last one of them."

So these guys were bandits. After debating for several minutes, I finally decided that I should kill them. I was doing the world a favor after all. People like them did not deserve to live. But then again, neither did people like me. I quietly drew my bow and notched an arrow. Peering around the corner of the building I took aim for the head of the nearest bandit. I released the shot and watched as the Khajiit slumped forward and fell from his bench onto the dirt below.

"What the hell? Who's there? Show yourself!" The second one snarled as he jumped up and drew his dagger, looking around for the culprit.

Putting away my bow and drawing my weapon, I stood up and walked around the corner.

"I don't know who you are, but prepare to die." He growled menacingly while flattening his ears against his head.

I said nothing but simply beckoned him forward with a mocking smile that only enraged him further. He ran towards me and snarled. I quickly raised my shield to block his first attack. He hit the shield with his blade so hard that it caused him to stagger back a few feet. This gave me the opportunity I needed to kill him.

While he was still struggling to regain his balance, I rushed forward and thrust my blade through his chest armor and all the way through his chest. He stared at me for a second with a look of disbelief before slumping onto my sword. I let go of the hilt and he fell to the ground. I didn't bother to recover it but instead took his dagger that appeared to be of finer quality and in better shape than the blade I had just used. I also decided to take his armor, lock picks, and gold. After I searched him, I did the same to his friend, finding the same items.

After I took what I wanted, I looked at the bodies I had just stolen life from. I tried to convince myself that I had done it for the greater good. That I had done the world a favor. But deep down the darkness only reminded me of the true reason. I had only done it for my own selfish desire to kill.

I decided I needed to visit the Market District of the Imperial City and purchase a few things. So leaving the carnage at the campsite behind me, I traveled along the shore of the lake until I reached the entrance to The Imperial City. I walked through the different districts until I reached my destination.

The first place I visited was the Three Brothers Trade Goods store. I needed to buy a carrying bag for all of my items. Pockets and waistbands were not very good storage units. Using the gold coins I had taken from various chests and corpses I purchased a simple burlap sack with a shoulder strap. It was not fancy but it would serve the purpose and it was cheap. I also decided to purchase a loaf of bread and some fruit for the road.

The next store I went to was the Slash 'N Smash for another weapon. The dagger I took from the bandit would be ok for forest animals but I was pretty sure that animals were not the only thing I would encounter on the road to the priory. The coins I had left over were not enough to buy a suitable weapon so I sold a few of my healing potions and arrows to get a little extra money. Finally I had enough to buy a descent silver short sword and a couple of repair hammers. I had repaired weapons and armor before so I didn't need very many. I didn't need any armor due to the fact that I had already taken all the armor I needed from the bandits.

By the time I was done with my purchases and had left the Imperial City it was already well past noon. I figured I should try and cover as much ground as possible before the sun went down so with everything in order I set out on my journey to go and find this Jauffre. I opted to follow the road rather than through the woods even though the latter would probably have gotten me there sooner. I chose safety over speed. I convinced myself that it was best to try and avoid a fight even though part of me argued that point.

By the time the sun had gone down I was fairly sure that I was almost there. No point in stopping for the night so I continued down the road. After another couple of hours I could make out the chapel within the city of Chorrol and knew I was close. Finally I came upon a couple of buildings. A sign right outside the entrance to the largest of the buildings told me that I was in the right place.

I proceeded inside of the building. As soon as I entered I saw a staircase that branched to the right and left. There seemed to be no one in here but I walked up the stairs and checked just to make sure. There were beds and desks, but no one occupying them.

Sighing in frustration I walked back outside to look for someone whom I could ask about Jauffre. I looked to my right and saw a Dunmer tending a herd of sheep. It struck me as odd that he would be doing such a chore at night, but I approached him nonetheless.

"Excuse me," I said. "Can you tell me where I can find a man named Jauffre?"

The man turned around to face me and gave me a smile.

"Hi there. My name is Eronor and I tend the sheep here at Weynon Priory. You're looking for Jauffre you say? He's probably sleeping right now. Is there something you needed?"

_What kind of a stupid question is that? Do you really think I would be here if I did not need something?_

"Yes, but I must to talk to him. I can't talk to anyone else about it."

"Well then you should probably just sleep here for the night and meet with him about it tomorrow. There's a bed in the main hall if you want it. Free of charge."

I didn't really like the idea of going to bed. I tried to avoid it for as long as I could. Sleeping meant dreaming, and for me the dreams usually consisted of nightmares. Terrifying visions of death that left me screaming and drenched in sweat. Still, it had been a while since I had last slept and I was beginning to feel the effects of the long journey so I decided I would rest here.

"That will be fine."

"Great. The bed is up the stairs and to the left."

"Thank you." And with that I went into the building and found the bed.

I placed my sack under the bed and removed my armor. I kept my sword right beside the bed against a desk in case I needed it. I climbed into the bed and slipped under the sheets. I didn't realize how tired I was until I closed my eyes. I don't think two minutes had passed before I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter 4. Thanks again for taking the time to read.**

_There's a young girl playing in a field. She sees me and smiles, her blue eyes sparkling. She runs up to greet me but as she approaches I realize that she is a younger version of me. At about ten feet away she stops and just stares at me, unmoving. I walk towards her and suddenly she is not a sweet, blue-eyed child. I watch in horror as the figure of the child transforms into a monster. Standing before me now is a demon ten feet high. It's entire being is black with glowing red symbols running along it's body. It's eyes are a black, empty abyss. The teeth, once straight and flat, now have the appearance of razor sharp knives and are sticking out crookedly. I try to scream but no sound comes out. I quickly turn around and begin running for my life… for my soul. I know that the creature is after my soul._

_I hear its footsteps as it begins to chase me. I push myself even harder but I know it is pointless. The monster is going to catch up. I can already feel myself slowing and hear its footsteps gaining on me. _

_Finally I can run no further and I turn around in defeat. The last thing I see are its black, soulless eyes as darkness surrounds me._

"Hey, wake up lady."

I felt someone shaking me. Slowly opening my eyes I saw an older man standing over me, concern etched in his features. Groaning, I realized that I had probably just caused a scene because of my nightmare.

"That must have been some dream. Are you ok?" he asked.

I nodded, not opening my mouth for fear that a scream would escape it.

"Ok, if you say so. I was in the adjacent room studying, but then I heard you making such a fuss I figured I needed to wake you up and make sure you were ok." He seemed to have relaxed a bit, but was still watching me to make sure I truly was ok.

I stood up to get out of the bed and he backed up to give me some room. Still trying to shake the images of my dream from my mind I turned to him.

" I'm sorry, but who did you say you were?" I asked him.

"I am Brother Jauffre. Eronor told me that you had something to tell me. What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Ah, so this was the leader of the Blades. He definitely could have fooled me. This man looked to be in his sixties or so. With a small patch of gray hair on either side of his head and his face covered with wrinkles, he was the last thing I had expected the Grandmaster to look like. This man looked like he would have difficulty picking up an sizeable weapon, much less being able to fight with it.

I was startled out of my thoughts by his voice.

" I asked what it was you wanted to speak to me about." He repeated, his tone containing hints of annoyance.

"The Emperor sent me to find you."

He looked at me skeptically. "Emperor Uriel? Why? Do you know something about his death?"

"Yes, I was there when he died." At these words his face took on a slightly angry look.

"You better explain yourself. Now."

Already I could start to feel the anger rising. I knew it was unnecessary but the fact that I went on this errand for the Emperor when I didn't even want had already upset me. And now here was this man telling me getting angry with me. Although he didn't say it, I could tell he was tossing around the idea that I had a hand in the Emperor's death. The thought of simply throwing the Amulet onto his desk and leaving without another word briefly passed through my head but I pushed it away and answered him.

"He gave me the Amulet of Kings and told me to deliver it to you."

"You brought me the Amulet of Kings? This cannot be. Let me see it."

I pulled it from my pocket and held it out to him. Reaching forward, he took it and examined it.

"I can't believe it. It really is the Amulet."

He looked back up at me. "Who are you and how did you get this?" he demanded.

Ugh, more questions. I had delivered the amulet and now I just wanted to leave. Sighing in frustration, I proceeded to answer his questions.

"My name is Kyleena. I was a prisoner in the Imperial City. An escape route through the city was through my cell. The Emperor and his guards came through so I followed them. We were halted by a trap. The Emperor told me of another heir and gave me the necklace. He asked me to deliver it to you and then the assassins got to him."

Although I was loath to do it, I continued my story, relaying to him what the Emperor had said to me about the Prince of Destruction and Oblivion. I knew who the Prince was. Throughout my life I had heard several mentions of Mehrunes Dagon and that he was the Daedric Prince of Destruction. However, I was not familiar with how to "close shut the jaws of Oblivion" as Uriel had put it, but then again, I really didn't care.

"He seemed deep in thought for several moments before he finally spoke up.

" As unlikely as your story seems, I believe you. Only the strange destiny of Uriel Septim could have brought you here to me bearing the Amulet of Kings." Mehrunes Dagon is the Prince…"

I had stopped listening. I was too busy thinking about what I was going to do right after I left this place. I owned a small house in the city of Bruma but I rarely spent time there. I usually slept at an inn or a campsite when necessary. I would probably need to find a way to make some money since all of my possessions had been taken when I was sent to prison. I vaguely heard him mention something about a threat and magical barriers protecting us.

I was just about to interrupt his story and tell him I was leaving but was stopped by his next words: "You must go to the city of Kvatch and find Martin, the Emperor's son. You need to find him and bring him here to Weynon Priory. At his words, there was one emotion that flooded through me: pure undiluted rage. First the Emperor gave me a chore like I am some kind of servant and now this old man had the audacity to tell me that I had to go and find this missing heir. I had already done my job and I was done.

"I'm not doing another damn thing! I did my part. I brought you that amulet and now I am done. Find someone else to find your heir and save the world because I am not interested." And with that I stormed down the stairs and out of the building.

I had barely gotten fifty feet before I heard it, the small voice in the back of my head:

_You know you should go back. The Emperor asked for your help. You really have nothing better to do. It's just a simple task of finding someone and returning him here safely. Plus you would be helping to save the world._

I tried blocking it out but I couldn't fully silence it. The decent side of me had a habit of popping up when I really didn't want it to. This side of me was even more annoying than the dark one. I thought about it for a few seconds but didn't get very deep in thought about why I should do it before I heard another voice, an evil one:

_You don't owe anyone a damn thing, least of all the Emperor or his son. What did they ever do for you? Nothing. Forget about them. Someone else will take up where you left off. You don't need to help anyone except yourself. _

I weighed both arguments for a while. I really didn't have anything better to do. It really wouldn't hurt. I really didn't have anything else to do and it would be a good way to kill some time. I finally decided that I would do it… but only if there was a reward in it for me.

I turned around and slowly walked back up to the Priory and into the building where Jauffre was. He still had a slightly stunned look on his face as I approached his desk.

"I suppose I can find this heir and bring him back here. But then I'm done. I have my own problems to worry about. Also, I'm only going to do it if I will receive some kind of compensation for all of the trouble that I'm going through."

He gave me a small smile. "I'm glad you changed your mind. As I previously said, you need to go to the city of Kvatch and look for Brother Martin and bring him back here safely before the enemy has a chance to find him. As for your compensation, I will pay you when you have safely delivered the heir back to me. Then you can go your own way."

With this I turned to leave. I was halfway down the stairs before I heard him yell, "Thank you." I didn't bother to respond but hurriedly rushed out the door and made my way to the road that would lead me to Kvatch.

I began walking south towards the city, hoping to get at least most of the way there before sundown. As I walked I was lost in my thoughts. Thoughts of the Emperor, the amulet, Mehrunes Dagon and the heir swirled in my head. But the topic that dominated my thoughts was the assassins we had met under the city and what their purpose was.

One thing I have found out in life is that everyone always has a justification for their actions, whether they were good or bad. Everyone thinks their way is the right way. These assassins undoubtedly had the same mentality. But how does one define the concepts of right and wrong. Something that may be considered the epitome of evil by someone may be the right and just thing to someone else. But if that is so, then who is to say what is right and what is wrong. These people that we brand evil because they killed the Emperor may be totally pure and just in their own minds. If you kill someone for the greater good, is it still considered evil? Maybe the death of Uriel was for the greater good, but only those who killed him could see it yet.

These questions dominated my thoughts for the duration of my trip. It was only when I came across a wild animal or occasional bandit that I was distracted. After several hours I realized that I had nearly reached my destination. Finally, it was almost over and I could return to my normal life.

I could clearly see the mountain upon which the city stood. I reached the beginning of the path that led up the mountain but began to notice something. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the sky was turning from a bright blue to a shade of blood red. The sped up the closer I got to Kvatch and in a matter of several minutes, the entire sky looked as if it was filled with blood. I quickened my pace, anxious to find this heir and finish this task.

I walked up the mountain until I came upon what appeared to be a campsite. However this one was bigger than the normal ones I encountered in the wilderness. There were about ten rather large tents spaced out in a circular formation. I noticed the place had quite a few people, more so than a regular campsite which only provided refuge for two or three at a time.

Before I had time to ask anyone what was going on a middle aged Bosmer came running at me. His face held a look of terror as he stopped in front of me.

"Run! Get out of here while you still can. The guards, they still hold the road for now, but it won't be long before they are overwhelmed."

I looked around but didn't see anything that appeared to be an imminent threat.

"Run from what?"

He stared at me in disbelief. "Gods' blood! You don't know, do you?"

Without giving me a chance to reply he continued, "Kvatch was overrun by Daedra last night. There were glowing portals outside the walls. The gates to Oblivion itself! There was a huge creature… like something out of a nightmare. It came right over the walls blasting fire. The Daedra swarmed around it, killing everything they saw!"

The man looked as if he was about to cry. He must have been able to tell from my face that I had all ideas that he was being a bit overdramatic.

" You don't believe me? Go and see for yourself. The whole city… destroyed! It's nothing but a smoking pile of rubble. We are all that's left. Everyone else is dead!"

Still not quite believing his story I asked him, " If these creatures were killing everything in their path, how is it that you and the others managed to escape?"

"It was Savlian Matius. Him and some of the other guards helped us to escape. They cut their way right through the city gates. Our group came down here and set up camp while the guards stayed to defend the road up ahead. Savlian says they can hold the road."

He was nearly screaming in a fit of hysterics now.

"No… no, I don't believe them. Nothing can stop them. If you had seen them you would know. As for me, I'm getting out of here while I still have a chance. The Daedra will be here any minute. You should run while you still can." And with that he took off down the road like a pack of wolves was chasing him.

Just then the realization of what he had just said hit me. If everyone except for the people at the campsite was dead, that meant that if Martin was not among these people he was most likely not alive. Not that I really cared whether he was alive or not, but I did want the reward Jauffre had promised me and I doubted he would give it to me if I brought back Martin in pieces.

I approached a female Argonian who was sitting beside a fire.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Martin?"

She looked up at me, "Do you mean Brother Martin? I believe he is still in the Chapel with a small group of survivors. They are stuck in there until the Daedra are taken care of."

Not bothering with a thank you, I turned and began walking up the steep path to the city, inwardly cursing the whole way.

After walking for several minutes I finally reached the peak of the mountain on which the city stood. I turned to look at what once had been a proud city. Now all that remained was a smoking pile of rubble surrounded by a crumbling stone wall.

In front of the gates to the city stood what appeared to be a fiery portal of some sort. It was supported by a rocky frame that held it in place. The bottom of the support had large thorn-shaped rocks jutting out at all angles. The portal itself was a large oval of roaring flames. I tore my gaze away from the blazing inferno and looked up the path to see a small battalion of guards standing behind a makeshift fence of sharpened stakes with their swords drawn. I only took several more steps before one of the guards came running towards me before stopping abruptly.

"Stand back civilian. This is no place for you to be."

Paying no heed to his orders I asked, "who are you?"

"I am Savlian Matius, captain of the guard here at the city of Kvatch… or at least what's left of it."

I hoped this man could provide some help in my quest to find Martin and get him to Jauffre.

"I need to find Brother Martin."

"Well good luck getting to him. He's in the chapel and as you can see, the entrance to the city is blocked by that damned Oblivion gate."

So much for that extra help."Then I guess I'll just have to get around it." And with that I walked past him and towards the glowing portal ominously guarding the city gate. Halfway across the small open area between the guards and the Oblivion gate a strange noise coming from the gate pierced the air. Suddenly a small group of scamps emerged from the fiery gate. From behind me I heard the sound of footfalls and battle cries as the battalion of guards ran towards the Daedra and began attacking.

I didn't even bother to join in the fight. My goal was to find this missing heir and be done with this headache. By the time I had reached the gate to the city, the corpses of the scamps were strewn across the battlefield and the guards were returning to their post. Turning away from the carnage I faced the gate and proceeded to push it open and walk through.

As soon as I entered, I realized that the crazed man I had met earlier had not been exaggerating. All that remained of the once beautiful city of Kvatch was the crumbled, smoking ruins of houses and buildings.

Surveying the immediate area I noticed that several Daedra were patrolling around the entrance to the chapel. Pulling out my sword I ran towards the nearest one I saw. A clanfear. Although they were not terribly difficult, they had a nasty habit of head butting their enemies, causing them to stagger back, and occasionally fall down completely.

Raising its head at the sound of my approach, the clanfear prepared to charge. Rather than running at me, it crouched low and lunged at me. His head crashed right into my stomach, knocking the breath out of me and sending me stumbling backwards. Doubling over I tried to quickly regain my ability to breathe as the clanfear prepared to attack again.

Finally able to suck in air again, I straightened up and thrust my sword straight through the clanfear as it was in mid-jump. It let out a brief screeching noise before becoming motionless. I pulled out my sword and looked around for the other creatures.

There were two remaining scamps and both had noticed to commotion and were now creeping over to where I was standing. One of them threw a fireball towards me. Dodging it I sprinted over to them and lopped off the head of one before it could produce any kind of reaction. The second scamp hissed and proceeded to scratch my right forearm with its razor like claws. Wincing in pain, I quickly ran the little bastard through with my sword.

Doing one last check to make sure there were no more, I approached the chapel and pushed on the heavy oak doors leading inside. They slowly gave way and emitted a low, groaning sound as they were forced open.

Inside the chapel was dimly lit by candle scattered along the stone floor and placed at uneven intervals along the outcropping of the walls. Everyone in the room turned at the sound of the opening doors, their faces filled with both a look of fear and hope. The group was not very large, consisting of maybe five or so civilians and two guards standing at the entrance.

At my entrance the nearest guard, a female Redguard, approached me.

"What's it like out there? We were starting to think that we were the only survivors."

"It's a pile of ruins overrun with monsters." I snapped. "Is Martin here?"

"Brother Martin? Yeah, he's right over there." She gestured to a man in dark blue robes speaking with another person before continuing. "He helped a small group of us reach the chapel during the attack. We owe him our lives."

I gave a small nod of acknowledgement before walking over to Martin. At my approach he abruptly finished his conversation and turned to me. His face held such a look of utter despair that I thought he might break down and begin sobbing where he stood.

"Have you brought help? We have been stuck here ever since the city was overrun."

"The only help I brought was my sword and shield. It's all I need. You need to come with me. You're in danger and I can get you out of here."

"Of course I'm in danger. But I can't just leave."

"Why not?"

"I'm needed here. These people… they're my friends. I can't just abandon them. Besides, why would I go with you? I don't even know you. Who are you and what is it that you want?"

"You are Martin right? The priest?"

He gave a long sigh. "Yes I am a priest, although I don't think I will be much help to you right now. I'm having trouble understanding the gods. If this is part of their divine plan, I'm not sure I want anything to do with it."

I was starting to get agitated now. I had better things to do than stand here and listen to his lamentations.

"Gods or not, we need your help."

He gave a humorless chuckle. "If you came to me for help, then you're more of a fool than you look. Look around you. What good is a priest?"

It was a good thing that I needed this man alive to collect my reward or else I'm pretty sure I would have run him through right then and there. I risked my life to save his sorry ass and then he has the nerve to call me a fool. He was the one worshipping gods that probably didn't even exist and if they did, they didn't seem to care about him or his city.

Squelching the dark thoughts, I decided to get straight to the point. "Look Martin, You are the son of the late Emperor. The ones who killed him are the same ones who destroyed your city trying to get to you. Pretty soon the Daedra are going to overrun the guards and when they do, they're going to find you and kill you. My job is to get you out of here safely to the Grandmaster of the Emperor's bodyguards at Weynon Priory."

He stared at me, dumbfounded for several seconds before speaking, "I'm sorry but you must have the wrong man. I am a priest of Akatosh. My father was a farmer. And besides, why would I trust you? I don't even know you."

"Look, the only reason I would fabricate this story is if I were one of the assassins and wanted to lure you away and kill you. However, if that was the case, I can assure you that you would already be dead. Now you need to come with me so I can get you to safety."

"I'm sorry but I can't go with you. Even if what you say is true, I cannot just abandon these people to their fates. I will leave here when we can all leave together."

Anger rushed through me, red hot. Rather than yelling at him I simply said, with some difficulty,"Alright, fine then."

With that I turned and stalked out of the chapel, letting the door slam shut behind me to show my anger. I knew what he was talking about. Martin was not going to leave until something was done about that Oblivion gate.

Walking back through the city and out of the gates, I approached the Captain. I hoped he could give me some kind of information that would help me.

"Do you know how to get rid of these gates?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know how to close the gates. But I do know that it's possible. The enemies closed the ones that were opened during the initial attack. I sent several men in there to see if they could close it but they never returned. You could go in there and see what happened to them. If they are still alive, help them finish the job. If not, see what you can do on your own. The only advice I can give you is good luck." He looked almost ashamed at his lack of helpful information but there was nothing else he could give me.

When he finished I turned and began walking towards the portal. It figures that I would get no help whatsoever. Here I was risking my life for a bunch of people I didn't even know, much less care about. I hoped that this would be easy… or at least, not incredibly life-threatening. I was pretty sure that I would again be disappointed though.

I stared at the gate before me. Not knowing what I would find inside had me feeling slightly nervous. Not knowing how to get rid of it was making me even more so. Taking a deep breath I drew my sword and cautiously stepped into the fiery portal.

A loud noise akin to the one I heard when the Daedra had emerged enveloped me and I had the sudden sensation of falling for several seconds before finally feeling my feet hit solid ground. Looking around I saw that I was no longer in Cyrodiil. I was in Oblivion.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is chapter 5. Special thank you to everyone who reviewed. And thank you to everyone else who read it. Enjoy.**

Looking around, I surveyed my unfamiliar surroundings. The ground on which I was standing was dry and cracked. To my left and right was a sea of red hot lava that seemed to stretch on into eternity. Directly in front of me was a looming tower that had a column of fire running straight through it vertically. Taking several cautious steps forward, I could see that the tower was being blocked off by a large metal gate of some sort.

A sudden movement caught the corner of my eye. Turning I saw a guard fighting a couple of scamps.

_This must be one of the guards that the captain was talking about._

Quickly running over to the ensuing battle, I ended the life of the first scamp and the soldier finished off the other. After removing his sword from the corpse he turned to me.

"Thank Talos you're here. I didn't think I would ever see another friendly face again. I'm the only one left. There were too many Daedra. We were overwhelmed shortly after we got through the gate. The others were dragged off and I haven't seen them since. I was fighting my way back to the gate when you showed up. I'm afraid I still don't know how to close this gate."

The man looked pretty rough. His arms and face were mottled with cuts and bruises and he was visibly shaking from exhaustion.

"Go and help the Captain. I'll figure out how to close this gate." I told him.

He gave me a grateful look. "Thank you. I'm sorry I can't be of any more help. The only advice I can give you is to be careful." With that he took off at a full speed charge to his freedom out of this place.

I was pretty sure that the huge tower in front of me would be the one containing the key to closing this gate. What I was not sure of however, was how to get to it. Seeing no other option I began walking to my left hoping to find something that would help me. Looking around I noted that the scenery left something to be desired. Other than the endless ocean of lava and the baked ground, all there really was to see was some evil looking plants and the occasional charred remains of some unfortunate would-be hero.

After walking up the path for what seemed like hours and killing an innumerable amount of Daedra, I finally found the entrance to the main tower. The door which led inside had to be over fifteen feet tall and had an oddly shaped, glowing symbol etched into its surface.

Pushing open the door, I cautiously stepped inside and looked around for any enemies. Two scamps and a clanfear were patrolling the area. Directly in the center of the room, the huge column of flames shot straight up. Running straight in, I quickly dispatched the enemies and took a better look around. If the outside was unpleasant, then inside was a nightmare. The walls were made, not of stone, but of rotting flesh and skin. Advancing through the next door took me to a corridor that led upwards. At the top was a fleshy looking door. Prying it open brought me face to face with a creature I had not seen before. Its general shape was that of a normal person. However it was far from normal. Its face was black and red and had two large horns protruding from the top. Its armor looked somewhat familiar and I realized that it was the same armor that had appeared on the assassins.

It let out an inhuman roar as it swung its sword. Quickly ducking I managed to run my sword through his abdomen. Withdrawing my sword I stood straight and watched as the creature collapsed to the floor and died.

I continued to ascend the tower until finally reaching a door that led outside. A bridge was connecting the tower I was in to another smaller tower overlooking the lava. Crossing the bridge, I reached the tower and went through the door.

This tower was not as large or complex as the previous one, but it was still just as nightmarish. Hanging from the ceiling were rotting corpses of people, some of them on fire. Looking away from the grisly sight I noticed that there was a spiral path that led from the bottom to the peak. I decided to go up. When I finally reached the top there were several things I noticed. The first was that there was a man in some sort of cage. The second was that there was another one of the human-like monsters and that it had seen me.

It drew its sword but instead of directly attacking as the previous ones had done, this one spoke, "You should not be here mortal. Your blood is forfeit, your flesh is mine." And with that it proceeded to attack. I quickly brought up my shield to block its initial attack. The force of the sword striking my shield reverberated throughout my entire body. I swung my sword directly towards its head but it managed to bring up its sword and block. The clang of metal against metal echoed throughout the entire tower. Quickly retaliating, I drew back my sword and with all the strength I could muster swung it directly towards its head. Unable to deflect the attack in time, its head detached from the body and rolled onto the floor while the corpse fell to the ground.

"Quickly, quickly. There's no time."

Spinning around I saw the man in the cage staring at me as he continued, "You must reach to top of the large tower. I believe they call it the Sigil Keep. In there you will find the Sigil Stone. The stone is what keeps the Oblivion gate open. If you remove it, the gate will close. You will find the key on the Sigil Keeper's body."

Bending down, I searched the body and found the key. Then I turned back to the imprisoned man,

"What about you?"

His face grew somber, "I'm afraid there is no hope for me. My legs, they're broken and I am unable to walk. Just get to that stone and remove it."

I gave a quick nod before beginning my descent to the door I had previously entered. Returning to the room I found the locked door. After unlocking it, I continued climbing the tower, my mood had lifted slightly since I now knew what I had to do.

After killing several more Daedra and ascending higher up the tower I finally reached what I was pretty sure was the Sigil Keep. In this room, not only were the walls made of flesh, but the ground was too. It made a sickening squishing sound as I walked across it. Through an opening in the wall I could see the column of fire in the center. Stairs that appeared to be drenched in blood led up to a second level where the stone and a couple more Daedra awaited. Climbing the stairs, I took care of the Daedra and walked onto a platform with the stone in front of me. It was at the very top of the column and was floating in mid air.

Cautiously I stepped forward and picked it up. The second I did, the fire disappeared. All was quiet for several seconds and then suddenly the whole room burst into flames. I turned and ran around to where the stairs were, trying to escape the heat that was scorching my skin.

I had just reached the top step when a bright light filled my vision and I felt the familiar sensation of falling. It lasted for several seconds and then stopped abruptly. I looked around and saw that I was no longer in Oblivion, but back in front of Kvatch.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I made my way over to where the guards were standing. The Captain gave me a huge smile as I approached.

"You closed the gate. I knew you could do it. Now is our chance to launch a counterattack. I need you to come with us. You have way more experience in combat than these men do."

I was just ready for all of this to be over with. "Yeah, fine. Let's go."

"Great! Follow me."

I turned and ran behind Savlian with the other guards following me. Together we charged through the gates to the city only to be greeted with a small horde of Daedra.

_Damn, how did these get here? I thought I killed them all earlier._

I didn't have time to think about the answer because they had now seen us and were running towards us. Since it was not only me fighting this time, it didn't take long to dispatch all of the creatures. At the end of the battle, we had only lost one of the guards. Although that was probably a great loss seeing as there were only five of them to begin with.

I began walking towards the church but was interrupted by a slap on my back. Turning around I saw it was Savlian. "We did it! We wiped the bastards out. It's safe to pull those people out of the chapel now. We should go inside and make sure they are all okay."

Looking around the chapel for Martin I vaguely heard Savlian and the female guard I had spoken to earlier discussing the battle plans. I paid them no heed but continued looking through the small crowd of civilians. I finally saw him pacing back and forth in front of the alter in the center of the room. He looked deep in thought about something.

I walked over to him, interrupting his musings. Looking up, he gave me a faint smile.

"You're back. I had my doubts as to whether or not I would see you again. And I heard that you managed to close the Oblivion gate. Thank you.

Ignoring his compliment, I jumped straight to the point. "It is now safe for you all to leave. You need to come with me so that I can get you to Jauffre at Weynon Priory."

"Yes, I will come with you to Weynon Priory and see what this Jauffre has to say."

"Good, let's get going."

The other civilians in the chapel were already grouping together in preparation to leave the city. Walking past them I headed to the doors, all too ready to be done with this place. Turning around, I saw that Martin was saying his good-byes to his friends. Finally, he finished and we made our way through what was left of the city and down the mountain to the makeshift campsite.

The mood of the people had lifted slightly thanks to the closing of the gate but the despair was still apparent in their faces. Leaving them behind, Martin and I set off down the path towards thepriory. The sun was already beginning its slow descent so I knew we would have to stop for the night soon.

We were pretty lucky during the first part of our travels. We only encountered a small number of wild animals which I quickly took care of. After walking for several hours, we decided that it was time to stop. The sun was just high enough to give us light to find some firewood. We were about halfway between Skingrad and the Imperial City, so we still had a long way to go.

With the darkness surrounding us, the fire provided us with our only light source. Reaching in my bag I pulled out a loaf of bread and two apples. I turned to Martin, "Are you hungry?"

"Yes. Thank you."

I couldn't remember the last time I had shared anything with anyone. It felt… good. I never looked out for anyone other than myself. The joy of helping someone out of my own accord was a nice reprieve from the greed I usually felt. I gave him a small smile.

"You're welcome."

I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I saw the food in my hands. My stomach grumbled, reminding me that it had been a while since I had actually eaten anything. Attacking the food like a voracious animal, I finished both the bread and the apple in a matter of about three minutes.

Shortly thereafter, Martin finished his food and we were back to staring at the fire in silence. I welcomed it, for it gave me some time to ponder all the recent events. Martin however must have found it awkward for he was the first to break it.

"So what was it like?"

Looking up from the fire I stared at him. "What?"

"Oblivion. What was it like?"

I thought for a moment before answering, " It's not a place you want to find yourself in. It reeks of death and destruction. The land has no life on it, save for a few evil, unnatural looking plants. And all around the land is a sea of fire, as far as the eye can see. It's like a real life nightmare, except you don't wake up from it."

"The people at Kvatch, they are calling you a hero."

"I turned my gaze back to the crackling fire. "I'm not a hero."

"Of course you are. Most people wouldn't have lifted a finger to help. You're a good person."

"If you knew of all the things I have done, you wouldn't be saying that."

" The past does not matter for it is just that, the past. What matters is that you closed the Oblivion gate and saved the remaining survivors of the city. Your good deed saved many lives and brought hope to the people when there was none."

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a lifetime of bad ones." I exclaimed, the anger starting to rise. This man had no concept of the things I had done. The things I had stolen. The lives I had extinguished. And here he was trying to tell me what kind of person I was when he had no real concept of the truth. Having lived his life as a priest, I doubted he really knew of the evils in the world.

"Then do not let that be your only good deed. Instead, let it be a starting point for you to actually live up to the title."

"People don't just change overnight Martin. It takes time, and some don't ever change at all.

He gave a small smile, "Well then, I think you should get started. You have already started your change, now all you have to do is keep going forward."

"Yea, ok. I'll work on it." I said halfheartedly.

Suddenly I realized how late it actually was. "It is pretty late. You should get some sleep. Tomorrow we arrive at the priory."

"Actually, I can take the first watch. I have a lot to think about and you look as if you could use the sleep."

I thought about it for a moment. If we were attacked, I doubted that Martin would be able to fight. But he was right, I was tired. And no matter how much I didn't want to, I needed to sleep. All of the fighting had worn me out.

"Alright, fine. But if you hear or see anything suspicious, wake me up."

"okay."

And with that, I made my way inside one of the tents at the campsite. A lot of things were racing through my head but it didn't take long for me to fall asleep. That night, my last thoughts were of Martin and his words of encouragement. That night, for the first time in a long time, I slept without nightmares.


End file.
